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Sound Plumbing Experts

Posted by paul on Sep 12, 2013 in Music and Home | Comments Off on Sound Plumbing Experts

Plumbing Sounds You Should Never Ignore.

When you hear loud noises in your pipes, this is nothing to ignore. These noises need addressing immediately to avoid any further damage to your plumbing.

When you turn on your water and hear a lot of squeaking, rattling and bumps, it is a sign that there is a problem inside your plumbing system. Normally, when you hear noises in the water pipes they are caused by pipes that may not be anchored properly, but oftentimes, the problem is more complicated. Some people can repair exposed plumbing problems themselves, but if the noise is coming from the inside walls or under the floors, you should consult an experienced plumber.

Rattling – When water pipes are secured insufficiently, they can create a rattling sound when the water travels through them. Many times, these pipes are running adjacent to solid surfaces such as floor joists or walls. To stop this rattling sound, apply more cushioning around the pipes, and secure it down with pipe straps.

Whistling – If any type of sediment begins building up in the pipes, it will limit the amount of space that the water can flow through. Occasionally, this results in a whistling sound when the water is turned on. Whistling is a sign that pipes are too small. This can be fixed by having pressure-reducing valves installed where the source of the whistling is coming from. This is usually around the area of the bends or “T”s found in the pipes.

Squeaking and Creaking – Usually you will only hear creaking and squeaking noises from the hot water pipes. This is due to the hot water pipes expanding and contracting with temperature changes. When the pipes expand, they begin to move inside of the straps holding them. When they cool down, they will contract. The friction of the pipes moving around cause the squeaking and creaking sounds. These sounds are stopped by putting cushions on the pipes where the strapping is so that the noise is not heard when contracting and expanding.

Hammering – You might notice a hammering sound coming from the pipes when you turn a faucet on or off quickly. The hammering sound is due to the water flow being abruptly stopped and happens for a few reasons. Having loose pipes that are not secured properly are one of the more common reasons and is easily remedied. The pipes can simply be strapped back into place.

The hammering sound can also happen due to a malfunction of the shock arrestors or air chambers inside the piping located behind the plumbing fixtures and appliances. These are for trapping air so that it cushions the shock of an immediate stop of water supply. If these fill up with water, the result is the hammering sound. To eliminate this problem, you can shut off the main valve to the water supply and open up all the faucets. This will drain out the plumbing system and let the chambers empty. Next, you can close the faucets and turn your water back on. This should eliminate the hammering sound.

If the noise persists, it could mean that the pressure of the water is too high. If this is the case, pressure-reducing vales can be installed to lower the pressure which should stop the hammering.

Loud sounds can indicate major issues with your plumbing, Consult the list below to determine if the sounds you hear require closer examination by your trusted plumber.